Game



April 22, 1941- H. G. SHEPHERD 2,239,431

. snm y Filed Sept.A 14. 1939 Patented Apr. 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT` OFFICE GAME Hazel G. Shepherd, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 14, 1939,*Serial No. 294,834

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a game of a type lof football and embodying a `game board on which the scores, that is, the gains or losses in yardage, etc. are obtained and a complementary game board ruled to represent a football field on which the movement of the ball and hence of the opposing teams is charted and thus one of the game boards may be considered as representing the actual plays completed and the second field board have a chart either formed thereon as the game progresses or a device simulating a ball moved from place to place as the game progresses.

One of the objects of my invention is to enable `opposing players to consider themselves as the opposing teams and in fact the captains of such teams, thus the game players each when it is his turn to play defines the strategy of his particular play, that is, what play of a type known and used in football he intends to carry and then in using a projectile device such as a rolling disk he carries out the tactical movements to accomplish the particular play designated, thus in football there are three well known strategic types of play, such being a pass of the ball, a punt or kick' of the ball and a running play with the ball inwhich one or more players carry the ball as distin- `guished from a pass or a punt. To perform these types of play the player uses his best tactical practice to so roll or manipulate `the projectile representing a football that he clears certain obstacles and causes his projectileto come to rest` on an area of the game board giving the desired score, that is, gains for vhis side in yardage on the field, then if his play is completed, the ball is shifted on the field board, the corresponding yardage and in the direction of the players projectile.

Another characteristic of my invention `as to the game or score board is `that this distinguishes radically from most football types of games in that it is not laid out or ruled to represent a football field, therefore an object and feature embodied in the game board is to employ pawns representing the men of a team in the positions usual and more or less conventional in a defensive position of the men of a football team, this lay out using ll men, the same number as the men on a team. In conjunction with the defense positions of the pawns, the board is laid out or ruled in a considerable number of areas preferably in the manner of rectangles to dene areas or places in which the projectile comes to rest. The projectile is required to pass to make a fairly high gain through the forward lineof pawns, these pawns being positioned to obstruct the movement of the projectile. To make even greater `gai-ns the projectile must pass the backeld pawns, therefore the game requires con siderable skill on the part of the player in so rolling or `discharging his projectile to avoid the pawns and to bring such projectile to rest on an area which will give him a high score,-that is, a high yardage gain.

In View of the fact that the game of football has three major Vtypes of plays as above enumerated such as 1, a running play; 2, a pass and 3, a punt, each area has three different sets of indicia thereon showing the gains or losses or no gain for the particular play designated and called by the player before discharging the projectile, thus for instance for each and every area there is one indicia giving the score for the (1) runningplay, (2) the pass and (3) the punt, these being preferably designated inthe yardage VWhere positive `gains are made. Due to the fact that there are certain other features entering into the football game such as intercepted passes and incom-plete passes, I employ additional indicia on certain of the areas to show these features, these being hazards of the game, some requiring the penalty of a loss of yardage. There are also features such as a blocked punt which usually means a loss of the ball by a team and a loss of yardage for the next scrimmage.

I My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an edge elevation of the score board part of the game taken in the direction of the arrow I of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the score board when folded.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the score board taken in the direction of the arrow 3 of Fig. l, the projectile chute being omitted.

Fig. 14 is a plan of the `complementary field board.

Referring first to the construction of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the score board assembly II is illustrated as being rectangular in shape and having a chute I2 down which the yprojectile may be rolled illustrated as connected to theV end of the main part of the score board by a hinge I3. A strut end Il is hinged to the upper end of the chute as indicated at I5 so that the board may be arranged as in Fig. 1 for playing or when not in use be folded as shown in Fig. 2.

Adjacent the hinge I3 the score board has an edge line 2U representing a scrimmage line or a line for the front defense players. There are a further series of rulings such as the continuous cross lines 2l, the longitudinal lines 22, other longitudinal lines 23 which define the ends of certain cross lines such as 24. There are also partial cross lines 25 extending inwardly from the margins and partial cross lines 26, the lines 25 and 26 terminating at an extension of the longitudinal lines 23. These rulings or markings form a series of rectangles of varying shapes and sizes. Those near the scrimmage line 2l) are quite long extending from side to side of the board and differ in size in accordance with the score, that is, the yardage either gains or losses to be accredited.

The positions for placing the pawns are indicated by front line rectangles 30 on which pawns 3| are placed. These represent the front line football players as in a scrimmage or possibly defensive play. It will be noted that the two central pawns are quite close together making it diflicult to roll the projectile between such pawns. There are two symmetrical markings 32 back of the front line, two symmetrically spaced as indicated at 33, further removed from the front line and located further apart and a space 34,

these all being for pawns, thus locating the ll i men or pawns corresponding to I I football players in a conventional location for a defensive action in a game.

On each of the various rectangles there are indicia to give the score, that is, the gains or losses in yardage or no gain by indicia numerals 4B adjacent to which are the reference letters RP meaning the score for a running play. It is not necessary to have the letters RP or running play for each numeral indicia lli) as the location in the center of each rectangle designates the type of play to which the score applies. It will be noted that some of these designate distinct losses which of course take place in football and in such case the word loss is used such as indicated at 4 l, At other times there is no gain and hence there is no numeral and these being indicated by the words no gain 42 or a zero mark. In order to give further characteristics of a running game, certain of the rectangles have the designation as indicated, 43 referring to a fumble in which the ball changes from one team to another One of the rectangles has the designation M for a touchdown. The game is preferably played by rolling a projectile in the form of a disk down the chute so that this will come to rest on its side and hence be located in whole or in part in a particular rectangle.

The indicia to designate a score for punts is shown at the upper left hand corner of each rectangle, a particular score being identified as 50. In certain places there is the index 5I by the letter B which means a blocked punt. One of these is shown back of the scrimmage line and another, 52, represents a blocked'punt back of the scrimmage in which the opponent secures the ball l0 yards back of the scrimmage line.

'I'he other plays such as passes have the score indicated on the upper right hand corner of each Y rectangle and identified by the numeral 601 as to one of the scores. In View of the fact that there 'are considerable hazards in passes, certain of these have the score marked INC indicated at 5l which means an incompleted pass, therefore if Y erable to have the penalty shown such as in4 some cases to return 10 yards or to return. for a touchdown. Again, the distance from the line may be indicated as 10 yards from the line. It is obvious that other designations and scores may be placed on the score board. Should the projectile run off the lower end of the board the score for any play is to be that of the particular bottom rectangle within which the projectile aligns, of course such being a matter of the rules of the game, there may be no score if the projectile rolls off the score board.

In connection with playing the game, the field board lll, note Fig. 4, is complementary to the score board. This has a series of cross lines 1l which represent the yardage lines on the typical football eld being arranged to represent 5 yards apart the length of the field. The goal line is indicated at 12. The shiftable device simulating a ball 13 is used with the eld board and is moved from place to place on the iield board in accordance with the scores or yardage gains, losses, etc. made on the score board.

In playing the game this may be done by two players, each taking turns and following the generally accepted rules of football yas far as possible. The projectile is preferably a disk such as a suitable coin and is started by a player at the upper end of the chute l2, rolling downwardly on its periphery and thus gaining a momentum. The pawns such las 3| in the front line and those in the back defense divisions form obstructions or obstacles in the line of the rolling projectile, hence the projectile may strike these and come to rest or may knock down a pawn and continue a short distance beyond. The pawns are preferably made of a type so they may be knocked over or displaced, hence the projectile by skillful use of the player may get beyond the front defense line not only by passing between the clear spaces but by knocking down or displacing the front line pawns. As above mentioned one side or the other is presumed to have possession of the football, that is, the right to roll the projectile and for inst-ance from a scrimmage must make 10 yards gain in three plays otherwise turn over the ball to the opposing player or side, therefore the player having the projectile may use his best skill in the strategy of the game as to whether to play for running plays, punts or passes. I-Ie may, as is the usual case in football, from a scrimmage attempt a running play and if he does not gain 1G yards in two downs, then for the third play he may try a punt or a pass in order to be sure of sufficient gain in yardage for the three downs. In the tactics of the specic direction of the play manifestly the player can roll the projectile from any place o-n the upper edge of the chute from one side to the other. He may endeavor to pass entirely around the end of the front, line between the front line pawns or roll the projectile at an angle across the score board in the attempt to miss the front line pawns and to pass between the rear defense line pawns, therefore the gain simulates plays in football which frequently extend diagonally across the field or somewhat along the side lines.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A game board having a series of transverse and longitudinal rulings defining a plurality of various sized areas, a plurality of score indicia marked on each area with identifying means referring to a play elected by a player, a plurality of markings to locate front line pawns positioned adjacent one end of the board and to locate backleld pawns remote therefrom whereby a projectile may enter the board between the pawns or on each side oi the end pawns or by displacing the pawns, the projectile being adapted to come to rest on any one of the areas.

2. In a game, a game board having a series of lines and markings dividing the face of the board into a plurality of areas, each area, having a plurality of separately located score indicia, each having a different play to be elected by the player Iactuating a projectile whereby on the projectile coming to rest on a particular area the player may tally a score corresponding to the particular indicia of the elected play, a plurality of markings to locate front line pawns positioned adjacent, such end and to locate a plurality of backeld pawns positioned and spaced therefrom on certain of the areas whereby the projectile must pass between or outside of the pawns or displace the pawns to make a score on an area.

3. In a. game, a game board having a series of transverse lines and a series of intersecting longitudinal lines thereby forming a plurality of rectangles of different areas, each rectangle having three different score indicia t0` represent elected football plays, one being for a running and thereby register the score as elected by the player, a series of markings to locate front line pawns positioned in proximity to the end of the board and to locate a plurality of backiield pawns, spaced apart to permit rolling of a disk-like projectile therebetween or around the outside of the pawns, individual pawns being displaceable by a projectile.

4. In a game, a game board having ruled lines forming a series of rectangles of different sizes, each rectangle having a score indicia of three diierent values for elected plays of a player, one being for a running play, a second for a pass and a third for a punt, and a plurality of markings to locate pawns positioned on the board whereby a projectile may pass the pawns or be obstructed thereby or displace a pawn and come to rest on a rectangle and thereby designate a particular score.

HAZEL G. SHEPHERD. 

